My first mental health problem landed in my life when I was 7 years old. I’m 32 now, so you could say that these ‘problems’ have been with me for almost as long as I remember. Through my teens, feeling constantly terrified, anxious with a busy brain that would never shut up were my norm, and this continued through my 20’s until I finally got some help at the age of 27. I know, an age right? I’m happy to say that the anxiety monster, the OCD beast and the eating problems I’ve battled are all villains that I’ve come to make my peace with. We still battle occasionally, but I know how to defeat them by now.
After years of hating my brain, thinking it was broken in some way, I’ve actually come to realise my brain is actually my superpower. My experiences with my mental health problems have made me an empathetic and compassionate person. I am super passionate about helping other people who going through similar things, and that’s all down to my battles. I’ve faced my challenges and emerged stronger and more resilient than before. I own my superpower now, and I’m proud of myself and my mental health. My experiences with my mental health problems are part of what make me ‘me’, and I quite like ‘me’.
Saying that, even by owning my superpower, I’m still nervous the first time I tell someone about my mental health. I’m scared that they’ll think that I’m weak, that I’m not strong enough to deal with life. I’m worried about their reaction, I’m worried that they think I’m just making a fuss…that I’m telling them for attention. I’m worried that they’ll treat me differently or just dismiss it, and me, altogether. What’s wonderful to note is that my worries are almost always unfounded, people’s reactions are generally so positive and the majority want to know, learn and understand. So for everyone who shares my worries, I encourage you to keep talking, I can’t express how much these conversations have helped me. I know that these worries are the result of the stigma that has surrounded mental health for far too long. I know that I’m not weak, I’m none of these things, in fact I’m stronger because of my experiences.
Mental health is becoming a more normal part of our conversations, and we need to keep this momentum going. I force myself past these worries because we need to keep talking, and more than anything I want to play my part in helping. I don’t want people to feel how I’ve felt in the past about my mental health, I don’t want them to worry about people’s reactions when they tell them about a mental health problem. I don’t want anyone who is dealing with a mental health problem to ever feel like they’re weak, or worthless, or a burden. Because they’re not, they are so worthy, stronger than they ever think they could be and never, ever, a burden. So fighting this stigma is my superhero mission, and I think, if we keep talking, we can smash it.